Estate Planning…A must whether you have a little or a lot!

While everyone is celebrating during this holiday season, the manner of these celebrations can vary based on differing family traditions, religions, and geographic regions. Estate planning is no different—protecting your family’s future must be customized to fit your and your family’s unique needs. No matter your level of wealth, it is important to understand that the reasons for estate planning are universal.

Estate Planning Basics

There are several reasons why an estate plan is necessary for everyone. Some of these include protecting beneficiaries, sidestepping probate, protecting assets from creditors, and avoiding a mess in the event of incapacity or death. Estate planning gives you the tools to specify what happens to you, your assets, and even your loved ones should you pass away or be unable to handle your own affairs.

Regardless of your motivations for establishing your estate plan, one important need is appointing the right fiduciaries (agent under a power of attorney, successor trustee, and patient advocate) who will make medical and financial decisions for you when you are unable. The creation of a will or trust can lay out who receives your property and how. They can also be used to appoint a pet caretaker who can ensure that your furry family member is taken care of when you are gone. Likewise, a guardian nomination lets you determine who will care for your minor or special needs children or family members. Finally, determining what values you want to pass along to family members, friends, or other loved ones can be spelled out in a number of ways including an ethical will, an incentive trust, or a charitable plan.

A major benefit of having an estate plan put together—no matter how much wealth you may have—is to minimize costs. Having your estate go through probate—which is the court-supervised process of the distribution of assets—can result in attorneys’ fees, court costs, appraisals, and other expenses. This financial cost is in addition to the length of time it can take to administer an estate—from several months to several years depending on the circumstances.

Do Not Wait

Life can be full of surprises—what you leave behind for your family and loved ones should not be left to chance. For this reason, everyone should have an estate plan in place to ensure the security of their family’s future. Contact us today to learn more about your options.

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Our Testimonials

Smooth Probate

Eastham Law Offices helped my family when my mother passed. They made the probate so easy which gave us time to grieve. Attorney Erik Eastham was very nice and understanding. We live in upstate New York and everything was signed and done through the mail and went very smoothly. I would recommend them to anyone who has

Anonymous

Thanks

Eastham Law Offices have been extremely helpful to my family and me. We couldn't have made it through this process without them. Thank you for all your help!

Anonymous

Very Nice Family

My best friend from college and I wanted to start a business and didn't know what needed to be done. We contacted Eastham Law Offices and they created our corporation for us within a short period of time. They were very knowledgeable on how our corporation should be set up and what needed to happen throughout

Anonymous

Awesome Attorney

I met with Erik for Estate Planning. He and his staff were great. He answered all my questions and did excellent work. I would recommend him to anyone who needs Estate Planning. Very happy with the whole process.

Mike W.

Excellent Service

I contacted Mr. Eastham because he was highly recommended to me, also I'm new to the area. After explaining my situation and my concerns, he gave me an honest and straight forward answer. It wasn't what I wanted to hear, but it was honest and straight forward. He explained everything in the easiest way so

Wilma Cox

Thank You to Eastham Law Offices

I want to thank everyone at The Eastham Law Offices for their assistance in preparing a trust for my mother's estate. Throughout the process, they were helpful, informative, and incredibly patient. They met with my mother and were able to answer her questions and reassure her concerns throughout the process. I would highly recommend them

Michael Wolf

Highly Recommended

I was highly recommended by another Attorney to Attorney Erik Eastham for my Estate Planning. My children and I are most pleased with him and his professional and friendly staff. They all are great and I will be sure to recommend him to anyone I know who needs his assistance.

Ruth Wolf

Highly Impressed

I was highly impressed by the professionalism, timely detailed, experienced work delivered by your firm. Team, John, Erik! Thank You! Cathy, You are also much appreciated! Truly make a difference.

Rosetta Rassiawarn

Very Happy

Eastham Law Offices has always treated me professionally and with a courtesy that makes a possibly unpleasant situation very pleasant. I would recommend their services to anyone and everyone

Alvin Starkman

Great Job!

Your company was recommended by my son, Stephen. Erik, you did a great job. The office was excellent and everything was explained very well and accurate. Thank You, Alfredo Mossini

Excellent Attorney

Attorney Erik Eastham and all the personnel were very courteous and professional in handling my affairs after my husband passed. Attorney Eastham took his time to explain everything in detail regarding what my options were. When I decided on a Revocable Living Trust, he went back over everything to make sure I understood the many

Gloria Bell

Perfection

I want to thank you for your very thourough and extraordinary interview. The atomosphere was one of the friendliest yet direct in details with instructions to meet my specific needs and goals for a successful retirement. The binder is beyond all my expectations and your work reflects your aim for perfection. I cannot possibly imagine